Thousands of innocents in the history of the world have suffered through pain and prosecution all because of something that supposedly sets them off from the norms of people who live in self absorbance and ignorance. These situations and injustices have come up through every society to ever come by on earth but the fact that it is wrong has always tried to be ignored by most. Harper lee paints this picture for us in her thought provoking novel, To kill a mockingbird, where she uses the mockingbird as a symbol of injustice, and to display a life of innocence. The novel depicts the false torture of immaculate residents of Maycomb, a town facing problems of injustice and loss of innocence. Boo radley, a man full of respect and kindness is shut …show more content…
First, similar to a mockingbird gifting with music, Boo sends Scout and Jem gifts all the time. After Boo saves Scout, she acknowledges that, "Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave use two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives" (Lee 171). This is talking about how Boo left little gifts for Scout and Jem in a tree, all wrapped in foil for them to discover. He has also given Jem help when he had stitched up Jem's pants for him when he had left them behind in the incident through chapter six through seven of the book.The occasion where he put a blanket on Scout's shoulder when a neighbor's house had gone up in flames at night, can also be looked at as a giving action. A mockingbird is a harmless creature that only gifts others with its singing, just as Boo Radley gifts and helps these children. All these actions although not required of him, are kind and represent his innocence and mercifulness. Secondly, like a mockingbird, Boo does not harm innocent people. When Bob Ewell tries to murder the two children, it is Boo who steps up to defend them and Boo who carries a hurt Jem home. When the sheriff is talking about Boo’s actions to Atticus he says, "I never heard tell that it's against the law for a citizen to do his utmost to prevent a crime from being committed, which is exactly what he …show more content…
Firstly, all evidence in court proved that he was not guilty, rather than going against him. During his trial, he was accused of physically injuring Mayella when he supposedly raped her. However Atticus had proved the court wrong when he showed the injuries on Mayella’s face were on the right side and had to be done by a left handed man. Moreover Tom robinson wasn't even able to use his left arm. Even scout was able to observe this when she stated that, “His left arm was fully twelve inches shorter than his right, and hung dead at his side. It ended in a small shriveled hand, and from as far away as the balcony I could see that it was no use to him.”(Lee 240) Although this shows the readers that Tom definitely did not do such a crime to Mayella Ewell,and that the injuries were put there by someone to make him look responsible. Secondly Tom was a friend to Mayella. He had helped her out many times before. Mayella had also trusted him enough to let him in the house to help her a numerous amount of times. He was kind enough to take his time off, and help with the chores of someone underprivileged and white. When he had been asked if he had done this without pay, and why he had done it he had replied with "Yes, suh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more'n the rest of 'em-”. (Lee 254) Tom had enough compassion in his heart to feel sorry for
Sometimes, people discriminate one thing, but strongly oppose the discrimination of another thing. In Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, this issue is very much expressed throughout the story. This thought-provoking story takes place in Maycomb, Alabama during a time when there’s a rape trial against a falsely accused African American named Tom Robinson. There is also a discrimination, of sorts, towards a man named Boo Radley, by three young children named Jeremy “Jem” Finch, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch, and Charles “Dill” Baker Harris. Both Boo Radley and Tom Robinson are similar in their own ways through their inherent goodness.
Atticus made several points proving Tom couldn't have done what he was accused of, for example, he has a disabled left arm but Mayella’s face was beaten on the right side. For a person to be hit on the right side of the face, the attacker must be left handed but Tom’s left arm is crippled. Another example of when cruelty is shown is Tom’s skin colour. “There’s something in our world that makes men lose their heads — they couldn't be fair if they tried. In our courts, when it’s a white man’s word against a black man’s, the white man always wins. They're ugly, but those are the facts of life.” (Lee 220) Atticus has no chance in winning this case. Black men in Maycomb are said to be liars, immoral, not trusted around women, and cheat everyday. If Tom was white, this whole case would have been handled differently. Tom would have walked out that court freely. But in the end, it does not matter that there was no proof that the crime Tom Robinson is accused of was ever committed, that Bob Ewell beat his daughter, or that Tom Robinson is disable in his left arm. Tom is convicted because he is a black man accused by a white
Throughout History, men have looked down on blacks and women. But this does not justify the view that blacks and women are below white men. When people look down on blacks and women, they preform injustice. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is full of injustice. During this time period, everyone looked down on blacks and women, which makes Maycomb one in the same with the discriminators. In particular, the people in Maycomb looked down on Tom Robinson, and many others looked down on Scout. Around the Finch household, Aunt Alexandria always tries to do away with Calpurnia, the black housekeeper and cook as Alexandria says, “We don’t need her (Calpurnia) now.” (182). Injustices in Maycomb include the case of Tom Robinson, the way Aunt Alexandra treats Calpurnia, and the way people treat Scout.
Tom was very confused when he was accused of this incident because he had never been anything more to Mayella Ewell than an acquaintance. “The older you grow the more of it you’ll see. The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but people have a way of carrying their resentments right into a jury box”(Lee 220). This is how Atticus described the trial to his son Jem because he could not comprehend how unjust the trial was unfolding on a daily basis. The proceedings were not equitable towards Tom Robinson because everyone should have realized at the trial that he had not done anything wrong. In the end, Atticus lost the trial. Not because the jury and judge thought Tom Robinson had committed the crime, but simply because he was black and they were racist. Tom was sent to jail for doing absolutely nothing wrong, except being black. He never had the luxury to grow into old age, as his life was taken from him when he was shot seventeen times during his attempt to escape from jail. Tom Robinson’s life would have been completely different if he had not been black. The discrimination would not have occurred and the accusations would not have been leveled or
A possible reason as to why the book was called “To Kill a Mockingbird” is because a mockingbird is a harmless and innocent animal. Therefore, when it is killed, peace is disturbed. In the story, Tom Robinson, a black man, was accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman. Due to this, innocence and peace have been disturbed.
To Kill A Mockingbird is a classic book by Harper Lee. Justice, being righteous and morally right, is a recurring theme in this book. Set during the Great Depression, the story takes place in a small town full of judgemental Southerners in Alabama. At the end of the tale, Boo Radley, who never left his house, saves two children from an attacker by fatally stabbing him. Boo was the gossip topic of children and adults. The townspeople thought he was mysterious and creepy. Because he was trying to protect Boo from further discrimination, from further humiliation, and from becoming a public spectacle, the usually law-abiding sheriff declared that it was an accident; that the attacker actually fell on his knife. This declaration is wrong for three reasons. First, the murderer should be punished for his actions. Second, the sheriff lied about what actually happened. Third, the sheriff made an exception to the law. “reasons, decision, justice” sentence
Justice is a translation of the law by an individual’s ideals. Although it can be defined by many, justice is confidently placed in the hands of individuals that understand and interpret the law to the fullest extent, in regards to their integrity and morality. While the law coincides with justice, tension arises when a conflict of ethics comes into play. The subversion of justice is portrayed in, “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee as a result of racism, stereotyping, and preconceived notions (bias).
In a desperate attempt to save his client, Tom Robinson, from death, Atticus Finch boldly declares, “To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. This case is as simple as black and white” (Lee 271). The gross amounts of lurid racial inequality in the early 20th century South is unfathomable to the everyday modern person. African-Americans received absolutely no equality anywhere, especially not in American court rooms. After reading accounts of the trials of nine young men accused of raping two white women, novelist Harper Lee took up her pen and wrote To Kill a Mockingbird, a blistering exposition of tragic inequalities suffered by African Americans told from the point of view of a young girl. Though there are a few trivial differences between the events of the Scottsboro trials and the trial of Tom Robinson portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird, such as the accusers’ attitudes towards attention, the two cases share a superabundance of similarities. Among these are the preservation of idealist views regarding southern womanhood and excessive brutality utilized by police.
Racism has always been a controversial topic in history. All people face racism, no matter what race you are, and it’s an injustice. Racism is a major issue in today’s society, because … THESIS STATEMENT
In a society surrounded by corruption, racism, and cruelty it is rare to find purity. Innocence is constantly being destroyed. For this reason, the harmless citizens need to be treasured and protected. Harper Lee 's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird portrays the injustices of the 1930 's that expose the innocent to the mal of the society’s intentions. Some characters in the novel are characterized as harmless and pure and are symbolized by mockingbirds. It is then stated that killing a mockingbird is a sin, therefore meaning that killing innocent people is also sin. Lee’s eye-opening novel reminds the reader that one should protect the beauty of the innocence by not allowing
In this world, everyone has an equal right; however, many people are getting falsely accused of acts they did not commit even though they are innocent. Mockingbirds, one of the most innocent birds, sing their heart out for people to enjoy, however, they getting killed every day. In this novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, there are many racial prejudices going on. Finches stand near the top of the social hierarchy, with Cunningham and Ewells underneath. Black community in Maycomb is even below the Ewells, even if they were a hard worker; they were not treated equally. The “mockingbirds” represents the idea of innocence, so killing a mockingbird is to destroy innocence. Throughout the book, many characters are considered a mockingbird. Three examples are Tom Robinson, Boo Radley, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond. Those three characters are innocent; they are kind and were never harmful to others. However, they were destroyed through contact of evil. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, the mockingbirds symbolizes the idea of innocence, and Tom, Boo, and Mr. Raymond are considered one of it.
In the novel, ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee some characters suffer in the hands of justice and fairness more than others. Many characters in the novel are discriminated against such as Calpurnia, Dolphus Raymond, Helen Robinson, Burris Ewell and more. However I will be focusing on the discrimination against Tom Robinson for his race, Walter Cunningham for his low socioeconomic status and Boo Radley for the rumors and supposed mental instability he holds. I chose those three because they are the most prominent and I will discuss how the discrimination against the characters therefore leads to their injustice or unfairness.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest” Ellie Wiesel. Readers may find the amount of injustice in Harper lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird a little shocking. This could be why it’s such a popular book. People like the suspense of knowing someone’s right, but still being found guilty for something they did not do. There are many times throughout the book when people are powerless to prevent injustice but they still protest it. This shows that even when people unjustly punish there should always be someone to protest it. The theme of injustice is a common one in harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, whether it be through racism, misinformation, or Arrogance.
In Harper Lee’s, “To Kill A Mockingbird” a true definition of the mockingbird is shown, a symbol extremely important to the novel. In the beginning of the novel, Boo Radley is condemned – not because of his own actions but the misdeeds of those around him. Many stories were forged to generate a bad vibe for the name Boo Radley to the point that his house was essentially taboo. Later on Tom Robinson is proven as the Ultimate Mockingbird, Tom is just an average negro who tried to help out a white person, which was obviously a bad decision. Another definition of a mockingbird is innocence, which is evident in Atticus’ daughter Scout. The unwritten law, “It is a sin to kill a mockingbird” is often overlooked and also obeyed in Maycomb County.
In the beginning of the story, Jem, Scout, and Dill fabricate horror stories about Boo. They find Boo as a character of their amusement, and one who has no feelings whatsoever. They tried to get a peep at him, just to see what Boo looked like. Scout connects Boo with the Mockingbird. Mrs. Maudie defines a mockingbird as one who "…don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us" (94). Boo is exactly that. Boo is the person who put a blanket around Scout and Jem when it was cold. Boo was the one putting "gifts" in the tree. Boo even sewed up Jem’s pants that tore on Dill’s last night. Boo was the one who saved their lives. On the contrary to Scout’s primary belief, Boo never harms anyone. Scout also realizes that she wrongfully treated Boo when she thinks about the gifts in the tree. She never gave anything back to Boo, except love at the end.